Moments To Sweet Hell
by JuubiOokami
Summary: Something is coming. Tamaki seems to be up to something when two exchanges from England arrive, much to the dismay of the Host club. But there is more going on then meets the eye, unfortunately none of them can see into the future. Love. Adventure. Angst
1. Prologue

**Heya Everything!**** This is a fic I am writing with a friend of mine, but posting on my site.**

**Jus****t a few quick notes on this story-**

**Pairings, (in NO particular order)**

**Kaoru/Oc**

**Hikaru/Haruhi**

**Tamaki/Oc**

**Kyoya/ Tamaki (Friendship)**

**Hikaru/Kaoru (Brotherly Twin love)**

**Mori/Honey (Innocent friendship servant/master stuff)**

**Rating**** – Will contain all sorts of strange stuff, some of which…really quite horrific, so I'll make it an M, mature T are very welcome.**

**Warning**** – There will be Angst, humour, completely ridiculous stuff, more angst (So basically like the anime/manga) and will contains Oc's and bad grammar/spelling. Sorry**

**Disclaimer – Neither of us own, and are simply manipulating badly made puppets for our own enjoyment.**

**-**

'_How did this all happen?'_

Kaoru was clutching Hikaru, desperately trying to wake him. The older twin's arm was badly bruised around where his elbow was bent off at an unnatural angle at his side.

"Hikaru! Please! It's over now! It's ok!" the younger twin begged in a frail whisper, as Haruhi bent down next to them, examining the arm, her mouth formed into a thin line, as she blinked back tears.

Honey was standing on guard, eyes sharp, and expression filled with rage as Mori started to take out some of the first aid supplies they had managed to find.

Tamaki's shirt was ripped, and he was holding it together as best as he could, glancing nervously and worriedly at Kyoya who was leaning against the wall, his hands over the bleeding cuts all around his eyes.

"Tamaki-sempei, we have to get to your father's office, and to your phone." Mana whispered as the blonde boy nodded, his normally gentile face tight with concern and worry. "It's our only hope now…it's everyone's only hope."

Ellie bit her lip, and looked around, "Kaoru, we're going to have to re-set your brothers arm now whilst he's unconscious, ok?"

"How did this happen?" the youngest Hitatchin twin cried out, looking at the occupancies of the room who all stood fearfully, twitching with nerves and fright at even the slightest of sounds. The empty corridors, broken, rampaged, the school lifeless, and filled with the smell of cold sweat and fear.

All of it; broken. But why? How?

It was an answer that no one could give, the events leading up to this were so numerous, complicated and long that one hardly knew when to point the blame of where everything really all started.

Kaoru thought it was the day that he had to delve into the ice cold pond to save his friend.

Kyoya thought it was that stormy night when Tamaki had appeared on his door step, smiling and beaten by those he trusted.

Ellie was sure it was the day she was caught dancing in that drama room away from site.

Honey believed it to be the performance of the Woman in Black at Halloween.

Mori thought it began with the arrival of the cousins into Ouran.

Mana decided it was the day she accepted the lead role in the school play.

Hikaru, had he been conscious, would have believed it was the day of 'The Great Ouran Snowball Battle'.

Haruhi was sure that it was the day she nearly fell from the stair case and was saved by Mori.

Tamaki thought it was the day he heard that sweet lullaby again after so long.

They were all sure, they all believed…

In-fact, they were all wrong. It started before all that. It started before the trails, the explosions of joy and danger, before all of those things happened.

Because had those exchanges not arrived everything would have been so different, everything would have been warped, changed, unlike this completely.

It all started with two letters to England.

-

_She could remember that morning exactly down to the last detail. No matter how many times she repeated the scene in her head, her stomach flipping punch of shock, disbelief and clinically delusional excitement got her every time she thought about it._

_Her letter had come in early June on a Sunday morning; the only day of the week when she didn't bother to drag her bum out of bed until at least 11:30am in an attempt to stop her stomach gargling in desperation. Clad only in her pale green 'I Love Sushi' pjs, her fluffy purple slippers and an old jumper about three sizes too big; she creaked into the kitchen on auto-pilot to turn on the kettle and fill the toaster, still blinking to try and get the sleepiness out of her eyes. It was nearing the end of the term, exams were over, the days were longer and most of the students had already gone home for study leave. _

_But not her._

_She had been condemned to stay in school right up to the very last day of the year._

_Why? Because she had the misfortune of being 16 years old, and therefore in 5__th__ Form; a fate worse than death when it came to extra work (especially for the art students). She'd been landed with so much summer holiday work by her tutors for the transition from 5__th__ Year to Lowers that her parents had insisted that she stay behind at school till the last day getting it done…while they went off and had a nice holiday skiing up in the French Alps._

_She ground her teeth, violently pushing down the spring on the toaster._

"_Back-stabbing, heartless, free-loading, jetlag-loving, marmot-chasing--"_

"_Morning Becca." Mrs. O, her house parent smiled warmly, pushing the door to the kitchen open and carrying in the house's weekend supply of bread. Becca nodded wearily in her general direction, her eyes still attempting to focus on the world around her, "Another bad sleep?"_

_Becca nodded. "I finally finished that book I had for English; although it took me all night…it was very…anticlimactic. But there doesn't seem to be any end to my Psychology prep, it's just endless papers. I feel really sorry for all those poor trees…what a waste of being chopped down just to make a student suffer a little bit more…" She mumbled, pouring herself a mug of hot water and dropping a tea bag into it. Mrs. O pursed her lips but smiled, dumping the bread by the biscuit tin._

"_You got a letter by the way." She mentioned off-handily as Becca stirred some milk and three tablespoons of sugar into her mug._

"_Really?" Weird; she never got mail._

"_It came late yesterday. The address was for the house but it somehow got sent to the reception. I've got it here for you." _

_The sleepy, but now very curious teen girl observed as her house mother took a long scarlet envelope out of her pocket. It was clearly a formal document or some kind, identifiable by the crest pressed into the high quality paper and the elegant colour of the envelope; but the only formal letters she ever got sent directly where always from the Bank, and they were never as pretty as that._

"_Funny…maybe Mum subscribed me to a 'Take that anonymous' or something again…" she mused, taking the letter and slicing open the top with her nail. The rich creamy paper inside was folded into neat thirds, again with the same unfamiliar crest (which she now noticed had kanji written next to it) pressed into the top right corner. Becca raised her eyebrow as she skimmed over it; the top half was written in Japanese in deep red ink, but the bottom half she read quickly in English, still too sleepy to attempt to draw up her language skills in reading._

_After a total to four seconds she froze to the kitchen floor, her mouth slightly parted and her eyes appearing dangerously close to popping out of her head and landing on the floor. Mrs. O looked slightly alarmed by her student's reaction and was just in the process of raising her hand to check she was still breathing when Becca somehow managed to unstick herself from her catatonic state, and blot out of the kitchen door with inhuman speed, almost knocking over a very confused looking 4__th__ year coming through the door._

"_I'm going to Keat's House!" she yelled back down the corridor charging through several other residencies of the house._

"_Wa-?! Wait, Becca stop! Go and get changed if you're going out! You're still in your pajamas!!!"_

_But she didn't, next second she was out the door of the house and belting across the cricket fields._

_Safe to say the sight of a sixth form student sprinting at top speed across the campus dressed only in her sleep-wear didn't go unnoticed by the other students awake at the time, but__ she couldn't have cared less. A rabid snake-tongued psychopath riding a panda could have waltzed across the path and she wouldn't have blinked. If she hadn't been so intent on getting over to Mana's house as fast as her legs could move her she would have skipped, danced and sang opera the whole way._

"_Mana!!!" she shrieked, the second she'd rounded the corner. There wasn't time for a moment to pass before the front door of Keats was flung open and the girl's curly-haired best friend flew out and swung her around franticly in a wide arc, waving a bright scarlet envelope identical to hers. She laughed hysterically as her longest and closest friend grabbed her and danced with her insanely around the driveway while their soon to be ex-peers and ex-house parents looked on in bewilderment._

"_We did it Ellie!" She sang using Becca's nickname "We got into Ouran! We're finally out of here!!!" _

-

Yes…That's how it started, something so innocent, so sweet and joyful. Who would have guessed that this is what would happen? Who could have possibly foreseen the events to come?

But now is not the time to be asking such question. Now is the time for them all to look back, to unwind the reel of memories and remember how it all unfurled.

Because only then will they truly have their answer, only then can they get out of this living hell and live to tell the tale.

-

**Hello! I apologise for such a short chapter/prologue thing (We will write longer ones for the future, we promise). **

**Please leave a review, constructive criticism is welcome. Please note though that this chapter is meant to be a little confusing, and all will be revealed in the next. (well, some of it.)**

**If you have any particular question, feel free to pose them and we will try to answer.**


	2. The Host Club What Now?

**Another update for you all! It's a slow start but bare with me and read it the whole way through!**

**I promise that it isn't going to be centred around the Oc's. I really don't like fic's like that.**

**Disclaimer – I don't own! Pleeeeeeease don't sue!**

**Enjoy!**

**-**

The Chairman lent back in his leather seat and regarded his son carefully as the blonde boy continued to read the profiles with an expressionless face.

"More Scholarships?" He muttered.

"Do you object to it?" the man smiled eyes narrowed.

"Even if I did, there's no way of changing it now." The blue eyed teenager whispered looking down at the personal letters of introduction. "They will arrive soon."

"What's wrong, you sound like you disapprove. And here I thought you liked commoners."

Tamaki looked up and grinned, "I do, and I approve very much. After all these two, the things they write in their personal statement…well they sound utterly adorable."

"Don't they just?"

-

There first day in Japan was a blur. Although both had been there before, one for a Gasaku (karate training course) and the other for a couple of exchanges, neither of the times before had brought this much excitement.

The apartment block they were dropped off at was relatively plain but in a nice quiet area of the city with some traditional housing, a few modern but modest apartment buildings and a pretty array of foliage popping up through garden fences and in window boxes. The driver left them with two house keys, a map of the school campus and directions on how to get there via the train system (to which they had been given student passes) before leaving the two teens to unpack and clean up, which didn't take them long. The landlady had even left them a plate of meat buns with a note as a welcome present which had satisfied their appetites enough to get fully unpacked into the room they shared, shower and get some much needed rest. The money that they would be provided with for groceries wasn't due to come until Wednesday so the landlady had also taken the liberty of stocking their fridge and cupboards with a few microwave meals, snacks and tea to keep them going for the weekend; so they spent the rest of Sunday looking over the scholarship pamphlets for the school while Ellie flitted around the apartment decorating and arranging which quickly made the place feel like home.

"It should take us only a few minutes on the train to get there every morning, so we don't have to get up too early." Mana stated as she checked the train times while munching on a chocolate and almond pocky stick.

"But still; we'll want to be there a little early tomorrow to give a good impression." Ellie replied, fiddling with the wires on her laptop and tablet, trying to them arrange neatly them on her new desk.

Mana nodded, picking up another stick and leaning over on her left hand.

"Kinda hard to imagine isn't it?"

"Hum? Nani?"

"That they chose us? They actually chose the two of us over all those other boffins in the country. It's kind of amazing isn't it? They must have really liked our personal statements…"

Ellie shook her head.

"It's amazing yeah; but remember they're a really prestigious school, I think it would be more because of our marks and work that made them choose us, rather than what we had to say."

"You think?"

She shrugged, shutting down her computer and crawling over to the table and plonking opposite her roommate and popping a pocky stick into her mouth.

"Yeah, I mean come on; would a school that important really just let two complete foreigners in just because they used some creativity and a few big words in their personal statement?" _***ding*{Yes}*ding***_

"I guess; but you never know." Mana chirped tipping her head to the side. Ellie laughed, and then yawned, "Sleep time for the interior designer?"

"And for the future musician; we both have to be bright tomorrow if we're going to make any kind of impression." She mumbled, crawling over to her futon now covered with new red and purple koi fish pattern sheets.

"Yeah I guess…" Mana sighed, glancing over at her bed which on the other side of the window and was covered in green and blue sakura tree design covers which she'd picked out the week before.

"Mana."

"Hai?"

"…I'm really happy we're here together." She smiled, and Mana smiled back.

"Same. Night night Ellie."

"Sweet drums Mana."

-

"Ne ne, Takashi."

Mori turned raised his head just as his rabbit like charge leapt onto his back, arms tied tightly around his neck.

"Hai, Mitsukuni?" the tall boy responded as his blonde cousin gabbled excitedly.

"School starts tomorrow!"

"Hai."

"And the host club is going to be meeting!"

"Hai."

"And there's going to be lots of CAKE!"

"….Hai." Mori couldn't help but let a small smile escape him. "Lots."

"But you know…" Honey suddenly muttered, "I get the feeling that something's going to happen."

Mori did nothing but blink and give out a small hum in his throat. Honey may have been hyper active and appeared to be slow, but in-fact he had a great a grasp of situations. A sixth sense if you would.

"It's going to be an interesting year." Honey smiled, and Mori nodded.

-

"Sorry, we don't need any more members." The door closed as a loud chorus of girls mocking laughter could be heard erupting on the other side.

Mana clenched her teeth into a wide grin and turned away into the corner of the corridor where she proceeded to start ringing the neck of her new unfortunate imaginary victim. "Dirty rich bloody bastards I bet if I ripped your little doll like throats open your stuffing would be money too…" her voice dropped a couple of octaves, and began to resemble the sound of glass being ground as a dark aura quickly swept a chill through the building.

"Aha ha ha Mana-chan…you're beginning to sound like Orochimaru again." Eleanor said from beside her with a tight nervous smile as she patted her friend on the shoulder.

Mana slowly clicked her head around to glance at her anie, her expression still murderous. "Sorry, I can't help it…." She said in the same voice, her eyes still dangerously wide with white fury, and lips stretched into a horror film like grin.

"Come on, we'll have better luck in the next group anyway." Eleanor waved the list in the other girls face, and Mana sighing in defeat straightened with a sad nod allowing the aura to evaporate and the occupancies of the building to breathe again in relief.

Mana's voice took on its usual tones of mild annoyance as she took the piece of paper and looked down at the numerous names that had been crossed off.

"Even though we've already been through a whole bunch of them all of them are too full, or just don't want us and tell us they're to full. Our choices are getting desperate now Ellie, the next on the list is the Origami club."

"I like origami." Eleanor tried weakly and Mana sweat dropped.

"Of course you do Eleanor, of course you do."

"Look on the bright side; we're together in this amazing school. Don't tell me this doesn't completely remind you of the one from the manga."

"Ouran High School," Mana rubbed the back of her head, looking at the extravagantly painted ceiling, "The whole manga must be based off this place; everything's pretty accurate after all. Jeez, I never thought I would see this many rich people shoved together in one go."

"We're not exactly poor ourselves Mana." Eleanor reminded the curly haired girl as she pulled out a much needed map so that they could navigate their way around the school.

"Yeah, but these guys are royalty; my dad had a fit when he saw the price of the uniforms. We get several pairs free when we come into the school, but if we need to replace them its out of our pockets. My dad told me if I had to buy another one he would sell me as a slave to repay my dept."

The light eyed girl laughed as the two began to walk together looking for their next possible club.

"My parents just told me to become a famous artist quickly, and then when I could pay the fair to come home I could see them again." Eleanor shrugged.

"Ah…the same."

The two girls laughed again before stopping at their next destination. Looking at each other, Eleanor stepped forward and knocked.

There was a long moment and then the door was opened by a small large eyed boy. "Hello?"

"Hello." Eleanor responded in her best Japanese, "We are new arrivals at the school and would like to join your club."

"…Wait; you're the gaijin aren't you?"

**Dark Aura**

"Gaijin." Mana muttered with that same freakish voice causing the boy to panic and nearly slam the door. Eleanor jammed her foot in the doorway stopping him in time.

"Please excuse her, she's a little jet lagged. We really need to find a club."

"I'm sorry but the all the clubs are already full because everyone already applied for them." He squeaked before managing to rip the door out of her hands and shut it. "Please go somewhere else!"

"Wait…dammit!" The straight haired blonde girl rolled her eyes and then looked to her left. From beside her Mana was mumbling into her hands which were once again acting out a murder.

"Gaijin…Gaijin…."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"I'm a drama student." Mana took an invisible hammer to her victims face.

"I thought you liked the word Gaijin, last time you came to Japan for an exchange you made a whole bunch of jokes about it with your exchange from Keio school."

"Somehow it's loses its charm when that little runt says it."

"It can't be helped." Eleanor crossed out the Origami club from the list and then put on an optimistic smile. "Come on, next in line is the Tennis club."

**Darker Aura.**

"I'd rather die." a voice like rubbing grated sand responded as Mana bowed her head.

"How about the Haiku club?" Eleanor asked, feeling a bead of sweat trek down her face, such was the strain of being positive.

**Darkerer Aura.**

There was a long beat in which the two, both now ginning insanely peered at each other waiting for a response, as the unwanted list in Eleanor's hand seemed to decide to combust randomly into animaic like flames.

"**I'm going to go and find a piano." **Was Mana's final response as she turned to the left.

"Good idea, I'll see you later."

Eleanor turned right and the two parted quickly, each hurrying down opposite corridors to look for ways of constructively relieving their stress that didn't involve killing innocents.

-

Mana breathed out as she closed the door of the music room she had just entered and looked toward the instrument she had been seeking.

'_Wow, they have grand pianos in practise rooms…jeez, Steinway's no less, these guys are insane.' _

She thought to herself as she walked forward to where the uncovered Steinway was sitting open and ready to be played.

Lifting the lid she trilled a couple of the top notes and smiled, the acoustics of the room were good and gave the notes a ghostly chime like echo, perfect, just right for her style.

Sitting down on the assigned seat she pressed her hands against the keys, letting her fingers become accustom to them again by playing a few stray notes from the beginning of Debussy's 'Clair de Lune.'

The sound was beautiful, clear and bell like.

Next she played an extract of Bach's preludes and fugues, the sound booming magnificently. The piano had range too.

Perfect.

Feeling her nerves slowly cool she decided on a piece and began to play.

It was a private piece, a poem that her mother sung to her as a lullaby when she was a child, which she had put a piano to in later years.

A piece to remind her of home – always played it the day she got back to school after the holidays. In the past this was probably to remind herself that it wouldn't be long before she got to go home again. Now she supposed that it was just tradition.

The right hand played the main melody in the intro with spine chillingly beautiful harmonies, whilst the left hand gave support from the bottom creating nice scrunchy chords. Ghostly, soft, and like midnight.

Now all she needed to do was add the words to the song.

-

"_Bonne nuit mon amour, fais de beaux rêves."_

"_Bonne nuit Maman! Je t'aime avec tout mon coeur!"_

_She blinked lovingly to him with a soft smile and gently smoothed the sheets around him before stroking his face. "Moi aussi, mon petit ange, moi aussi."_

Tamaki's eyes sprung open just in time for him to quickly dodge a pillar which he was about to walk into.

'_Ahaha…__c'était dangereux.'_

He thought nervously to himself in French, rubbing the back of his head with relief that he didn't just go full force into the stone archway. Despite the fact he had nearly just broken his own nose however he couldn't help but smiling quietly to himself. Most of the time now adays he thought, walked, and talked in Japanese, but he was pleased to see that he still dreamed sometimes in French, and that during those dreams that nearly lost tongue would grown again when no one was looking and speak out in the musical language.

Though dreaming while he was moving, no matter what the lovely results, in the long run probably wasn't such a good idea.

Thank God for the fact that Kyoya wasn't anywhere near or he might have made some sort of comment about the fact that the 'King' of the Ouran High school Host Club probably shouldn't be walking to the said club with his eyes closed.

Reaching the door the blonde boy smiled at the imagery of Kyoya shaking his head. Even though most of the members of the club mocked him most of the times the memories he had with them were some of the best of his life. He felt his smile get a little wider as he turned the handle and opened the door a crack.

And that's when he was forced to stop dead.

"_**La musique souvent me prend comme une mer!  
Vers ma pâle étoile,  
Sous un plafond de brume ou dans un vaste éther,  
Je mets à la voile;**_

Dumfounded the boy stood frozen at the door, his hands still on the half turned handle as the voice continued.

He could feel his heart rate rising, and his eyes widening. He was awake…he was sure of it…yes.

He was awake but…

_**La poitrine en avant et les poumons gonflés  
Comme de la toile  
J'escalade le dos des flots amoncelés  
Que la nuit me voile;**_

"_Maman…chantes pour moi."_

"_Bein sur mon petit... La musique sourent me prend comme une mer..."_

"Maman…" Tamaki whispered.

'_No, she played the piano like that…but this is just coincidence…just someone singing that song...that…lullaby…'_

_**Je sens vibrer en moi toutes les passions  
D'un vaisseau qui souffre;  
Le bon vent, la tempête et ses convulsions**_

'_But it sounds just like her…the accent is perfect, the tone sweet but strong…it sounds just like her…and that piano melody…'_

He hadn't realised it, but his whole body had slumped forward in a relaxed state against the doorway, and his eyes had closed again.

"Tama-chaaaan!" a voice erupted down the corridor but he didn't react to it. His head was leaning against the wooden frame of the door, and he was mouthing the words of the lullaby that his mother had sung to him for so long.

"Tamaki, what are you doing just standing out here." Kyoya who was the closest to him arrived first and stopped as he suddenly heard the music too. "Someone practising music?" he inquired, trying to look into the small crack of the doorway that was open.

"We can kick them out' they are plenty of other practise rooms Tono." The twins drawled in unison, shrugging.

"_Je sens vibrer en moi toutes les passions…"_

'_Maman…'_

"Tama-chan?" Honey looked up at the blonde who was clearly not listening to any of them. "Is Tama-chan ok?"

"Tamaki ?" Mori muttered almost silently.

"_Le bou vent, la tempête et ses_ _convulsions."_

_**Sur l'immense gouffre  
Me bercent. D'autres fois, calme plat, grand miroir  
De mon désespoir!"**_

"Oy, Tono are you ignore-"

Tamaki opened the door completely blanking Kaoru as he took a step forward into the room to see the singer.

Long curly hair cascaded down her shoulders in dark honey golden curls, her lips were parted, the song still fresh on them, and her hands were still lightly pressed against the keys.

'_Maman.'_

Extending out his hand he pointed towards the mysterious pianist, who sat hidden in the darkness, his eyes boring into every one of her details.

'_She's the exchange student. Coincidence. That's all.' _

"You."

'_But still…'_

She looked up in surprise, her eyes widening in shock as if she had just been dragged suddenly from another world. Blinking she spoke, her Japanese flawless, though she was clearly European, "I'm so sorry, is this your room, I…"

'_She looks just like Maman with that curly hair…and her voice…I can't…'_

Tamaki grinned, "Welcome to the Ouran High School Host club exchange scholarship student Madeleine Casalta. My name is Suoh Tamaki and from this day onward I want you to be our pianist."

There was a long pause, in which the whole of the host club let their mouths fall open. The exchange student just stared at Tamaki, eyes popping out of her skull like she had had to hot pokers shoved into her brain, just as she yelled;

"EEEEEEEH!"

-

"Oy! Tono! What the hell? Just declaring things like that?" Hikaru grabbed Tamaki by the shoulder and turning him around the moment they were all out of sight.

After Tamaki's sudden declaration the group had grabbed him and excusing themselves from the young lady's presence had dragged the 'King' into the corridor again and closed the door.

"I'm used to you being impulsive Tamaki, but this is ridiculous." Kyoya agreed calmly, his eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong with it?" The blonde pouted, his blue eyes widening to only better improve his puppy dog look.

"We're a host club! We entertain young woman, why would we need a female member?" Kaoru shook his head.

"Haruhi is a girl."

"She's dressing as a man!"

"But didn't you guys hear her playing the piano?!"

"Tamaki _you_ can play the piano! We don't need someone else-"

"She was singing too." There was a shocked silence, all of the members staring at Tamaki who was looking down at his hands. He looked up all at them with a smile, "Besides, wouldn't it be nice to include the exchange students? I bet she's having real trouble finding a club for herself."

"Tamaki." Kyoya interrupted him, "What was that song she was singing?"

Tamaki froze, staring at his black haired friends face. Finally he broke out of it and shrugged with a smile. "La musique souvent me prend comme une mer!  
Vers ma pâle étoile."

"…What's that?" The twins asked together and Tamaki laughed.

"The lyrics are from a French Poem called Music, they are- 'Music does takes me like a sea, towards my pale star. Then through dark fogs or heaven's infinity, I lift my wandering sail. With breast advanced, drinking the winds that flee, and through the cordage wail, I mount the hurrying waves that night hides from me beneath her sombre veil-"

Tamaki stopped as another voice took his place.  
"-I feel the tremblings of all passions known to ships before the breeze; Cradled by gentle winds, or tempest-blown I pass the abysmal seas…"

Everyone turned to look at the girl who stood in the doorway, her tilted to one side and she completed the verse.

"That are, when calm, the mirror level and fair of my despair."

There was a long pause and then she looked toward Tamaki. "Vous savez parler francais?"

"Oui, je suis demi francias mademoisselle."

"Vous…" the girl shook her head, "You're Suoh Tamaki right?" She paused, and then turned to the rest of the group, her eyes looking at every one of them in detail. "If that's so then you would be Kyoya?" She pointed to him.

Kyoya raised his eyebrows "Yes; that is correct." He muttered.

She nodded solemnly as she moved on, her voice monotonous.

"Mori-sempei?"

Small nod.

"Honey-Sempei?"

"Hello!" the child look alike of the group gabbled excitedly.

"And you two are Hikaru and Kaoru?"

"…Yes?" The two answered in identical confusion.

"Right." The girl remained very still and then suddenly spinning one hundred and eighty degrees on the spot she pointed herself in the opposite direction and began to walk away, "I'm going to go now, as I think I'm hallucinating."

"Huh? Wait, what?"

She stopped and turned back to them "Only…YOU'RE THE OURAN HOST CLUB FROM THE MANGA, AND I UNDERSTAND THEIR BEING A CONICIDENCE IN THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL BUT NOT IN YOU ACTUALLY BEING REAL SO…!"

Everyone flung themselves back in shock at this sudden change in her tone and appearance. Her eyes were wide, mouth baring rows of sharp teeth and her fingers curled into claws.

"Scary!" Honey grabbed hold of Mori and clung to him, as the twins locked themselves in a tight embrace of alarm.

Kyoya however just laughed.

"What…What's so funny…?" Tamaki asked, sweat dropping at the rather creepy sight of Kyoya chuckling.

"I understand what's happening." He looked toward the exchange student, "Miss Casalta I presume?"

She composed herself, straightening and putting on a normal expression again "Yes, please call me Mana."

"Very well, Mana-sama have you, perhaps read a manga about us?"

"…if you mean the manga titled 'Ouran High School Host Club' then yes, yes I have."

"I see." Kyoya smiled and then looked at the others who were all staring at him in question.

"We have a manga about us?"

"That is correct, how else did you think we our money income rose all of a sudden?" Kyoya raised an eyebrow, "One of the part-time Art teachers in the school realised Haruhi's secret, and said she wanted to use it for a story. I told her that I would allow her to do so if we got twenty percent of the income, and that she sold it only in places were no one in this school would be able to get a hold of it. I'm surprised it got as far as England so quickly."

"You…YOU DID WHAT YOU MONEY WHORE!?" the twins chorused, "You sold our life stories to a MANGAKA!?"

"That is correct."

"YOU ASSHOLE! SOME OF THOSE THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN PRIVATE!"

"Do you really have a problem with it?" one quick glance from their 'Mummy' and the two twins had bitten down their tongues in terror and were once more clinging to each other as they shook their heads.

"I see; so all the things in the manga are based after things you did?" Mana smiled, "So I haven't been totally thrown into a parallel universe?"

"No, don't worry; in that sense you're perfectly alright." Kyoya nodded, "But unfortunately I'm going to have to give you something else to worry about."

"What's that?"

"Tamaki's offer for you to be in the host club, well I am going to have to take you up on it."

"…?" Everyone blinked in surprise.

"Seriously!" Tamaki jumped excitedly. "You really will let me Kyoya!?"

"What the hell Kyoya!" Hikaru demanded.

"Yay! Mana-chan do you want some cake!"

"It can't be helped." Kyoya interrupted them all, "We have to keep her close until we know she's trust worthy, after all…she knows Haruhi's secret now, doesn't she?"

-_- (Mori's expression.)

O_O (Tamaki's expression.)

O_o (Kaoru's expression.)

o_O (Hikaru's expression.)

0_0 (Honey's expression.)

"…"

"I forgot about that." Kaoru admitted, his eyes catching Hikaru's who was nodding his head.

"So did I."

"You bastard Kyoya! Telling Haruhi's secret so openly! How could you do that to your own daughter!?"

Kyoya grabbed Tamaki by the ear and yanked him down hard, "Because money doesn't grow on trees Tamaki!"

"You're really not the one to say that." A voice reached down the corridor just as Haruhi ran into sight, her short hair bouncing up and down with each step. "I'm sorry I'm late, why is everyone outside?" She asked looking around in confusion to the gathering of people by door.

"Haruhi this is Mana, she knows your secret, and she'll be joining us from now on." Tamaki grabbed Mana into a hug and gave the peace sign to Haruhi who sweat dropped.

"Is that so…Nice to meet you Mana, I'm sorry for whatever mishap has brought you into this situation today."

"Ahaha….?" Mana blinked

"From now on Haruhi you can be friends with Mana and become more effeminate!"

'_So that's what he was after…!' _

The twin thought at the same time, a dark aura creeping over them.

"So is she going to dress like a boy too then?"

"No, she's going to be a girl!"

"But we're a host club, how can she be a girl too?"

"She's going to play the piano, and be our mascot." Tamaki grinned.

"How is that going to work out?"

"Well we can-"

"-Wait wait wait!" Mana pulled herself from Tamaki's grip and took a few steps back, "Just hold on a minute! I don't remember agreeing to this!"

"You object to it that badly?" Tamaki had his puppy look on again.

"No! I just-"

"Then it's settled, you're in the Host Club."

"You can't settle things like that on your own!"

"But you said-"

"-That I wasn't sure!"

"-Well do you not want to then?"

"No, it's just that-"

"-Then you do want to?"

"I don't know!" Mana shouted, alarm rising in on her.

"Test run." A single voice said and everyone one went silent and looked at Mori who shrugged.

"Takashi is right! Mana-chan should do a test run and decide if she wants to or not, and if she qualifies…" Honey bounced excitedly, "If she does then she can join the club."

"That sounds like a good idea." Kyoya mused quietly to himself.

"Yosh!" Tamaki pointed his finger at Mana, "Starting this time tomorrow you will be trying out with the Host Club playing the piano for entertainment! We expect you to be here promptly and ready to impress!"

"…Right." Mana nodded and bowed, "I will…now please excuse me."

Before anyone else could say a single other word she had turned and was running at top speed away from the crazy gathering of people.

Kyoya watched as Tamaki stared after her grinning.

"This should be fun." The king whispered.

-

Ellie sighed and continued to walk down the corridor. "I was sure I heard Mana shouting a minute ago…but…"

"ELEANOR!"

"Huh!" the girl straightened just in time for her best friend to topple right into her, breathing hard and face flushed from running.

"Mana!? What the hell? Are you alright?"

"Fine…breathless…the weirdest thing ever…just happened to me….and you are not…going to….believe it." She said between gasps.

"What?"

"You know…the manga…Ouran High School Host Club?"

"Yes? The one based after this school?"

"Well…it's not…only based…on the school."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…that I just met them."

For the second time that day a single voice echoed down the corridor in shock.

"EEEEEEEEEEEH!"

-

**And that's all for now! Please review!!!**


	3. Dance Monkey DANCE!

**Another update from me- This is just for you Livvy you dirty blackmailer! (MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A REVIEW OR ELSE!)**

**Disclaimer – I don't own anyone…well…hmm…**

**Warninng- Language and instanity. ( For those who know me well- the rape will come later.)**

_-_

'_Oh sweet, merciful crap-fuck; what the hell am I doing here?' _Ellie thought for the thirty sixth time that day. Admittedly, before her current situation, she'd been rather optimistic about how the day was going to go. Mana was having her first performance for the Host Club and guests, and as a part of the deal she had insisted that Ellie get in for free to support her as well as being introduced to the other Hosts.

Meeting the Hosts hadn't exactly been a negative experience; Honey-sempai had bounced over with Mori in tow and offered her cake and tea the moment she had entered the room, Kyoya was quite polite to her (but she was sure that that was only because he was in full character), the twins had given her a small smile and nod of acknowledgement which she had returned, and Haruhi had been exactly what she needed to feel welcome there.

It was Tamaki that was the problem.

Moments after she had walked in and been introduced to them all by Mana, she had seen Tamaki staring at her. For one horrible moment she had thought that he was going to throw her out of the room, but instead he swooped down on her, swinging her around and cooing that she was absolutely adorable.

'_Man I know I'm small…but not __that __small.'_

An hour and a half later, she had found herself sandwiched on a couch between two crowing fangirls who hadn't felt the need to shut up for the past twenty five minutes. Tamaki sat, reclined on the sofa opposite them since he had insisted that he be the one to introduce Ellie to what the Host Club was like. So far she wasn't sold on it.

She couldn't stand being on the receiving end of all the flirting, the cheesy lines, the fake tears, the hair tossing, constant cooing and the endless buzz of silly high-pitched giggles from all around the music room.

The only thing that was keeping her from either flinging herself out of the nearest window or attempting to drown herself in her tea cup was the sound of Mana's composing on the piano a few tables away. She chose instead to close her eyes and focus on the soft tune being sung by the instrument by way of ignoring the two fanatic girls sitting either side of her. A few moments later Tamaki addressed her for the first time in an hour.

"Are you falling asleep already, kitty?" he teased, causing her eyes to ping open again and shake her head jerkily.

"No, no not at all. I was just lost in thought that's all."

That earned her a few scathing looks from the girls around her, but Tamaki grinned.

"Already lost to my charms, ah but I'm afraid that is the way. What a curse it is to be both beautiful inside and out." He said dramatically drawing the girls' attention away from Ellie and back to him (for which she was somewhat thankful despite the obnoxious way he went about it).

"Tamaki-sama was so poetic."

"I could listen to you speak of the hardships of life all day."

"Beautiful."

'_God I have to get out of here now!'_

"Excuse me…" she mumbled her voice inaudible above the soprano laughs and coos of the other girls as she got to her feet and slipped away from the centre ring towards the door.

"Sneaking away already are we?"

Ellie froze with her hand raised towards the door handle, her head twisting to see Kyoya smirking at her out of the corner of his eye, a clip board under his arm. Ellie sighed and let her hand drop.

"I guess I'm not exactly the type to enjoy being constantly complemented and waited on hand and foot. I meant no disrespect."

"There was none taken; I merely wished to inform you that the free entry was a one off for today. If you wish to come again you will need to pay."

"Don't worry, I don't think you'll have to worry about me prying for an entry; free or not."

"I suppose if that's what you would prefer." He spoke turning to watch Mana playing beautifully and with all the confidence in the world, "Mana's performance seems to be having a very nice effect on the customer rates; I think she'll make a nice little addition to the club's profits."

Ellie smiled sadly at the look of peace and joy on her friend's face from across the room.

"She's always been better with this kind of thing. She'll fit right in with you all…" she turned to Kyoya and allowed a small smile of gratitude, "Thank you for letting me come."

The moment the door was closed behind her and she was a suitable way down the hall, she let her façade drop and she was alone again.

…

Haruhi couldn't help but it admit to herself; She was interested.

It wasn't a jealous wondering, or a burning curiosity, she was just quite interested on why Tamaki had asked Mana to join the club.

Tamaki did not look down on woman, more he praised them and put them up higher then himself. For this reason he didn't like woman lowering themselves to do the jobs that he did…after all, he barely coped with Haruhi being part of the Host Club, even though he obviously didn't want her to leave…

Which is why it was confusing. Why would he allow, no _want_ Mana to play for them?

What was he doing?

Even that time that the Princess who looked like Tamaki's mother arrived he treated her like, incidentally, the royalty that she was, going beyond normal measures to make her comfortable.

But this was different; it was true that Mana did look a little like Tamaki's mother, and fact that she was also French added to that, but he wasn't…how could Haruhi explain in, treating her like that.

The girl decided it was probably better not to think about it to much, and that the answer would come eventually, even though she didn't know when.

"Haruhi-kun, is there something wrong?" a fangirl suddenly asked, and she looked around to the girls she was meant to be hosting.

"No no, I was just thinking. I'm sorry, it was very rude of me, I should treasure this time with you all as much as possible." She shot them all a glowing warm smile and earned several 'squee's' of happiness in return.

Kyoya also gave her a little nod and wrote something on his clip board, clearly pleased with the level of service and money income.

"Haru-chan!" a voice suddenly interrupted them as Honey bounced over, his disposure as always, rabbit like. "Etooo, have you seen Usa-chan?"

…

Mana had to admit that she felt a slight stab of panic when she looked up from the final note of her last song, only to realise that her petite brunette friend was missing from the cluster of cooing, giggling girls that was surrounding Tamaki. Even when her eyes scanned each Host table around the room, something at the back of her head told her that Ellie wasn't going to be coming back any time soon.

"She left to go and finish some homework." The Shadow King's voice answered her unconscious question from where he was typing on his laptop a table away. Mana allowed her hands a break, resting them gentle on the keys as she looked at him.

"She told you where she was going?" she demanded a little harsher than she's intended. Why had Ellie spoken to Kyoya and not her? Was she angry? Upset? Jealous?

Kyoya regarded her over the top of his glasses, politely ignoring the two chatting girls who were seated with him at the table.

"No need to be defensive; she was finding the atmosphere in here a little hard to cope with, so she excused herself a few minutes ago to find somewhere quiet to work. That's all."

Mana let the frown drop from her face, turning her head towards the other Hosts. Honey and Mori were entertaining their guests in much the same way as always; Honey getting hyper on cake while Mori sat looking stoic, both surrounded by first and second year girls. The twins were performing their 'brotherly-love' act so enthusiastically that afternoon it was almost painful to watch. Tamaki was, as always, surrounded by all his usual customers along with a few newer first years who looked almost smaller than Ellie in stature, and twice as giddy at Tamaki's act as the regulars.

The only person in the room who Mana could actually picture Ellie happily sharing a decent conversation with was Haruhi; and that was out of the question since she was at that moment completely swamped with over fifteen guests.

Mana sighed, placing her hands on the keys ready for her next song.

"She didn't want to disturb your performance."

Mana hesitated, not bothering to turn her head.

"Its good thing she did too. Your performance has attracted almost double the average number of customers we normally get daily; if she'd interrupted you it would have been bad etiquette and publicity for the Club." He added, still not turning away from his computer. Mana seethed where she sat on the piano stool.

'_Freaking money whore…'_ she cursed mentally, swinging back into a rather violent tempo than before, earning a couple of disapproving glares from a few customers and a few of curiosity from Honey and the twins.

But still, Ellie had just left without saying anything just so Mana could have kept playing…? She could have at least just told someone to tell her where she was going, especially if she was all on her own.

'_I better go see if she's alright…if I can ever find her in the damn place.'_

…

Ellie felt another pang of frustration as she peered through the doorway to the 4th Library without even bothering to step inside. It was jam packed with small crowds of people all chatting or meeting up with friends around the work desks and shelves, instead of half empty and quiet like she'd really been hoping for. She sighed heavily and closed the door before anyone had a chance to spot her throw disdainful glances. She turned back to walk the way she'd come a minute before, clinging her sketchbook, Psychology and Japanese homework tighter to her chest.

'_Seriously isn't there a single room in this place quiet enough to study in?' _

Almost half an hour had passed and she felt as if she'd wandered around half the campus searching for somewhere to get a head start on her work in peace; so far the only places she'd found even half void of people were the dining hall and the outer courtyard benches (which were deserted due to the face that it was too cold to hang around comfortably outside). Even the corridors and hallways were crowded with people going from room to room, systematically avoiding her path as she stalked down the east wing with a dark aura hanging over her head. At least there were less people down this end of the school.

'_Just one room; that's all I need! Just one quiet room where I can work…"_

And as if divine interventions had decided it didn't hate that much her after all; just around the next corner she passed was a long hallway with not a single person cluttering the corridor. A row of three locked doors stood along the wall, but when Ellie tried the last one it opened.

The inside resembled the dinning/social room of an old mansion. The wood was polished hardwood; the walls were carved into intricate designs with a bay window, a fire place (for some obscure reason) and two medium sized chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. If it wasn't for the fact that the room was completely empty of furniture except for the seating around the window she would have taken it for a glamorous dining room. But when she looked up to check the sign above the door it read '4th Drama Room'.

_-.-'Figures…bloody rich people.' _

Grumbling something about putting someone's head on a spike, she slouched over to the window that overlooked the stable fields; dumping her bag on the cushioned sill next to her and pulling out her iPod she made a start on her homework.

First her Psychology essay, then her Japanese vocab, then half of her English reading. Minutes stretched into hours a lot slower than normal.

"Two hours, twenty minutes and counting: come on Mana how long are you going to be?" Ellie paused to grumble between breathing on the window and writing different Kanji into the condensation on the glass. Her long finished Psychology homework sat on the seat beside her bag on top of which sat her phone. It hadn't buzzed with so much as a text for the past three hours, even though Mana had promised to call her when she was done. This could only mean one of two things; 1) Mana had been kidnapped by purple skinned aliens who whisked her away into space to be kept in an electrified steel cage and experimented on for the next few centuries, or 2) she had underestimated the amount of time the Host Club were going to keep her for. The latter seemed more likely.

Ellie groaned, pressing her forehead against the window pane. Was there nothing to do around this place? She really didn't want to go back outside and face the curious or hateful stares of her peers. But she also didn't want to be stuck in that dull class room for the whole afternoon either.

She sighed and reached over for her bag, rummaging through it for something to distract her; a book or scrap of paper or something. Her fingers brushed something smooth but tough

Pinching her eyebrows in a frown she pulled out a ballet slipper. Point shoes to be exact; her old points back from when she'd done ballet in year 9. She'd initially brought them in as something to draw but had never got round to it.

She smiled, running her fingers over the satin, stiffened toe and curled ribbons, remembering how much she'd loved dancing back in middle school. She hadn't practiced in a while, but she'd been good when she had.

'…_wonder if I can still do it…' _she mused, turning the slipper over in her hands and brushing her fingers over the worn in soles. Her hands reflexively reached down to pull off her brown school shoes, slipping the pink satin slipper over her toes. It still fit like she'd been wearing them only yesterday.

'_Another sure sign that I haven't grown in over two years...' _She thought grudgingly, pulling the other one on and tying the ribbons in neat little bows on her ankles. She flexed her feet, feeling the familiar pinch on her toes as she stood up, testing the feeling.

She took a pointed step forwards onto the hardwood floor, feeling a little awkward since her leg muscles were still quite stiff. She breathed in, sinking into a plié and then shot her feet outward onto their points. Pain shot up her calves from her toes almost making her collapse.

She stumbled, slipping at bit on the polished wooden floor. She cursed at the pain, knowing that she wouldn't have been able to pull off even such a simple move when her legs were that unused to the feel of her dancing again. She pulled her left foot up to her waist, stretching the muscles down her thighs, and then flexed her foot, doing the same to the muscles in her calf. Then she slowly stretched her leg out, still holding the point of her shoe. A few satisfying clicks of the joints as she pulled her leg up higher, and then she did the same to the other leg.

'_Ok, now try again. Not so hard this time…' _she coached herself in her head, sinking down again (a little more gracefully this time) into a plié this time turning on one foot before flicking her ankles outward onto her toes again. She got it.

Ellie grinned, pulling her right leg up against her left as she span gently on her toes. Her balance was off a bit, and her muscles where nowhere near as flexible as they used to be; but she still had it. She could still dance.

'…_maybe I'll come down here again sometime…'_

She thought just as her phone began to buzz with a text telling her that Mana was finishing and on her last song. The sender didn't leave a name and she didn't recognise the number as she picked up her things and hurried out to meet her friend by the music room.

…

Kyoya closed his bed room door as he threw his school bag onto his sofa and came around to sit down.

"Kyoya-san, welcome home!" his sister spouted, causing him to leap a foot in the air in surprise. He hadn't seen her when he walked in.

"Ah, tadaima, what are you doing here Fuyumi Onee-san?" he asked, glancing from above his glasses as his sister smiled toward him.

"I was just coming around to see how you were. Tamaki-san said that you have been very busy so I came to make sure you weren't over working yourself."

"I'm fine." The younger boy muttered, flicking his black hair out of his eyes as he sighed leaning back in his chair. In truth he didn't really see it as 'over working himself' at all as he found it all an interesting challenge, and everything was well in his capabilities, even if Tamaki made his life harder by being an unpredictable idiot who decided to change, over exaggerate and add things suddenly and unnecessarily.

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it." She beamed, standing from where she had previously been kneeling on his carpet.

"That boy…" Kyoya suddenly said, "He's up to something. Suddenly deciding to ask that girl to join, is Tamaki doing it because she's like his mother…or is there something else?"

"_This is going to be fun."_

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind, it's not important…but this, this should be interesting." The youngest Ootori muttered, smiling slightly in his usual evil way.

"Kyoya…?" his sister blinked, and then nodded her head, "I understand. You appear to be having lots of fun. I'll leave now. Send my regards to the rest of the host club."

She whispered before leaving his room with an ever knowing smile.

…

Mana turned away from the door, her hand still on the handle as she faced Eleanor.

"I'm sorry I'll be leaving you again this afternoon, but you can come in and watch by me if you want; maybe I could bribe Kyoya…"

"Nah it's alright," Ellie interrupted, "It wouldn't be right for me to try and free load again." The faint shadow of a sad expression crossed her face, but it was instantly replaced with a grin as she inclined her head reassuringly. Mana's eyebrows pinched into a concerned frown at her friend's cheerful composure.

"Ellie, you seem oddly…chirpy about me abandoning you for three hours. Are you sure you'll be alright until 6:30?"

Ellie waved her arm in a dismissive but unusually dramatic gesture.

"Don't worry yourself about it. I have some stuff to do anyways so I'll come find you up here when you're done, ok?" Without waiting for an answer she turned on the balls of her feet and practically skipped down the hall on her toes.

Mana remained transfixed with her hand on the Music room door, staring after her roommate and trying to make sense of her odd behaviour.

"Hi Mana-chan!" Honey's voice rang Mana out of her thoughts a half second before she was glomped round the waist by him, "Are you ok? You don't look right. Are you hungry? Do you want to share some cake before you start playing?"

"No-no I'm fine really Honey-sempai" she insisted, interrupting Honey's monologue while Mori pried him off her and put him on his shoulders.

"Ah and the fair maiden returns, and what kind of gentle music are you going to grace us with today sweet one?" Tamaki spoke as he came up alongside Mori and Honey, with the others in tow a few meters back. An idea occurred to her suddenly. She cleared her throat respectfully.

"Um, sempai? I have a small request…"

…

6:00 came and Mana was wondering round the downstairs halls of the East Wing, as she had been doing for the past half hour.

It had taken quite a lot of negotiating for Tamaki to let her go early; he'd wanted her to stay behind a play more on the piano but the memory of Ellie's strange behaviour was like lizards eating her insides. She needed to get out and find her.

Kyoya had been even less keen on her leaving early, since she was dramatically increasing the popularity of the Club even after just a few days with her music. So as a deal she agreed to come early the next morning to help sort out that day's theme…the work of which was going to take about four hours of hard labour.

Whatever Ellie was hiding, it had better be good.

"Come on Ellie where are you…?"

She halted for a second, narrowing her eyes in a frown and turning to listen to something she'd heard coming from the corridor she'd just passed.

'_Piano music…?'_

She retraced her steps a few paces. The sound got clearer.

'…_But there are no music rooms on the ground floor…'_

Following her trusty musical ears Mana walked light footed towards the end room on the corridor she'd stopped at. The door had been left ajar and there was the soft sound of recorded piano music being played from inside.

Mana stopped dead when she peered through the doorframe, being careful not to let the sound of her surprise escape.

Ellie was dancing.

Spinning, light stepping, twirling, and leaping across the polished wooden floor on her toes, the skirt of her uniform dress swishing outward around her legs which were keeping in perfect time with the speed of the music coming from her iPod speakers.

She was smiling.

Not the awkward, forced smile that she'd been wearing up in the Club room. A real, genuinely happy smile that Mana had only ever seen her show a few times. …

'_Ah…I see. Well in that case, I have an idea.'_

She grinned, walking back toward the Host club room.

…

It was cold.

That was the first thing that Hikaru registered. It was incredibly cold in his bed right now.

Rolling over he winced as his bare arms pressed against the freezing sheets, and suddenly the cold from before was actually a lot warmer in comparison to how he was now.

He was awake now to.

'_Damn'_

Getting up the older twin rubbed his arms and looked over to his window which was wide open. Sighing he walked toward in and closed it quickly before any more heat could escape the room…well, there really wasn't any heat to leave the bedroom anymore.

Shaking his head the older twin padded out of his room and into the corridor which was considerably warmer. From here he began to trek toward Kaoru's room.

Yeah…Kaoru's room.

It had been Kaoru's idea – Get different rooms.

The two had actually been a little unsure on the idea so they had decided to do a little trail and see how it worked out. How having some independence worked out.

How pathetic, they were both sixteen and they couldn't even have separate rooms without seeing if they could actually deal with it first.

Twins.

That was their excuse…that and the fact that two bodies in a room, in a bed made everything warmer.

Creaking the door open Hikaru looked in on his little brother who was curled up, mouth slightly ajar and breathing softly in his sleep.

Slowly looking around he slipped into the room and closed the door after him as gently as possible. Then he strode over to where his brother was sleeping and he examined him.

Yes. Their faces were still identical; the younger of the pair hadn't actually changed in his absence. Hikaru couldn't help but admit to himself that he felt a spike of relief at that.

The truth was that it hadn't been the cold that had woken him, though that definitely hadn't helped, it was the dream he had had before hand.

It wasn't a nightmare as such, because nightmare implied blood, guts, death and the living dead chasing you when you were stuck in 'slow mode'. No, it wasn't anything like that…but at the same time….

He had been looking into a mirror and suddenly it had shattered. On the other side Kaoru smiled that fake smile like always and no matter how much Hikaru wanted to beat his way to that other realm, to embrace his brother he couldn't…his body had turned and walked.

He had stepped out of that 'that world'.

Shivering the boy curled into a ball and looked toward the window where a lazily hung moon was just visible in the darkness.

"Hikaru?" a soft whisper, he been expecting it so he hadn't jumped.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No. What's wrong?"

"I left my window open, so I'm waiting for my room to warm up a bit before I go back." Was the simple whispered response.

"The heaters are turned off at this time until morning Hikaru." Kaoru must have looked at the alarm clock next to his bed. "It won't come on again."

"It's alright, I'll live…I just, couldn't sleep." Hikaru shook his head and then stood walking to the side of the bed where Kaoru was already lifting the duvet welcomingly.

"Here, just stay here for the night, forgot the trial." Kaoru smiled gently and Hikaru slipped into the bed gratefully unable to stop himself slipping his arms around his brother and snuggling into him.

"Jeez! You are cold!" Kaoru scolded concernedly as he wrapped his arms around his brother's frame. "If you're sick tomorrow it'll be no good…."

Hikaru sniffed in response pulling him in closer.

"Do you already have a cold coming?" the concern seemed to grow from teasing into something a little more real. "Maybe I should get you a hot water bottle or something-"

"Kaoru…"

The other boy stopped at the sound of his name and relaxed. "Yeah?"

"I'll never leave, you know that right?" Hikaru pressed his face into his younger brother's chest; his voice was apologetic, and pleading. He was asking for redemption because of a dream.

"What are you talking about?"

"Our world. I'll never leave our world."

"…" Kaoru gripped him tighter, "You don't have to make promises like that." He said, "I already know."

'_But you don't, do you?'_

Hikaru thought as he breathed out and closed his eyes.

'_You have no idea.'_

Every trickle of pain one twin felt on their own the other felt double. It's why they had to be together.

Always together.

And believe it or not, but the one in the more pain was the one who was terrified of breaking the one he loved most.

Because they were twins…because they were two individual parts of the same person, because they shared a world which no one else could come into.

Because that was the way it had to be, to avoid pain, horror and emptiness.

They _had_ to be.

'_Always together.'_

…

'_Third finger, then fifth, and then go down an octave…then the sharp straight after…don't forget.'_

Mana though to herself, calculating the piano piece in her head as she closed the door after her. Ahead her friend was already walking into the centre of the room.

"Mana, why are we here again?" Eleanor asked looking around the empty Host club music chamber. Mana passed her and went toward her the window where the Steinway sat prepared.

"Because I've adopted this piano." Mana said stroking the lid of the said black instrument with a grin. After a moment the grin slipped and Mana bowed her head.

"Listen, I want to apologise – I've been so busy with this we've barely spent any time together and you…"

"Don't worry about that Mana!" Eleanor said a little too quickly. "You should have fun, I've been keeping myself occupied so…"

Mana's smile picked up again and she tilted her head.

"Yes, I've noticed that." She could feel her grin extending as she sat down on the piano and played the first few notes. "Sound familiar?"

Eleanor's face went pale, "Mana…you…You saw!"

"Looks like I can still sneak up on you every now and again ne?" she stuck out her tongue and turned toward where her mental twin was shifting uncomfortably. "Now dance monkey."

"No…" Eleanor turned, "I'm going to the library."

"Oh come on, don't be like that. It's only us."

"No, I don't want to. I can't anyway."

The discomfort was clear and Mana got to her feet and walked toward Eleanor gripping her shoulders.

"Listen I saw you with my own two eyes. You were dancing Ellie, you've always been good at dancing, and even if you don't believe it the damage is already done. I've seen it, no one else is going to until you're ready, but I stayed up last night a long preparing this piece."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I went on the internet for the music, and then I _drew_ out a piano on a piece of paper and played it."

"Serious?"

"Serious." Mana grinned, "I tapped a couple of A4 piece together and played in on repeat in my head."

"You did that?"

"For you."

"Really?"

"Really really." Mana pressed her forehead against Ellie's and smiled. "I learnt it for you my little Eleanor."

"Just cuz I'm smaller then you…" the straight haired girl pouted but Mana had already bounced back to the piano and was pulling up several pieces of crumpled paper from her pocket.

"I can only play the beginning right, so you'll have to forgive me."

"That's alright; I only have the routine planned half way." Eleanor put down her bag and rummaging through it she pulled out her points, sat down on the floor and started putting them on. Mana watched with interest as she did so, unable to deny the happy glint in her friends eye as she tried the ribbons around her ankles.

"You going to warm up?"

"No, it's alright, the walk here has me warmed up…just give me a moment to stretch, and then we'll start."

"You got it boss." Mana said as she straightened out the pieces of paper on the stand ready to play on command.

…

"Mana-chan told us to come to the Music room early today." Honey looked up at Mori who strode silently beside him. "Why do you think that is Takashi?"

The gentle giant shrugged and Honey smiled as the two continued to walk.

"She's playing already." Mori suddenly stated as music began to pour from the room.

"Ooh, I think I know this piece!" the golden haired bunny-reincarnate hopped forward and opened the door of the music room a bit.

What he saw made his eyes widen.

"Takashi stay here…I'm going to go get Tama-chan." The boy whispered with a secret smile.

"Ah." Mori answered, his own smile set in place as his charge disappeared at top speed down the corridor back the way he came.

-

**MOHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, End of the chapter. Review please!**


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